Which high end bag for your Leica M kit?

[alan davus]

The problem with the all leather bags is that they need so much maintenance. They will get scuffed up. The edges will start to lose their color. You have to clean and condition the leather periodically. Otherwise, it can dry up and crack. Also, in humid environments, it can become a fungus farm. I have a Coach leather briefcase that I use daily, and have used for more than 10 years. However, in that time I've had to strip the finish and redye it back to black. The edges especially, get worn and the color is removed. After the dyeing, the leather has to be reconditioned, and then polished. It's labor intensive.

For those reasons, I much prefer a canvas or ballistic nylon bag.

MMM....My wife has had a swag of leather handbags for donkeys years and they are all as good as the day they were bought. Never seen any conditioning, special treatment etc. So what, are camera bag manufacturers using the wrong type of leather? My Wotancraft "Ryker" looks like it's up for the long haul, but I guess only time will tell.

 

[kaiwasoyokaze]

I use a ONA for my camera bag until the brass lugs wore out on the straps (i travel hard). I emailed them asking where I could buy a replacement and they just sent me one for free! Highly recommended due to this.

 

[Dogman]

My vote goes to Billingham. I bought my first, a Hadley Pro, to carry a pair of Leica M6's. At the time I just liked the way it looked. Over the years, I came to love it for its sturdy build, durable materials and the reliable protection it provided. I also still like the way it looks. The Leica M6's are both long gone but the Billingham is still with me and still in use today with various Fuji cameras.

I've had a few flings with various Domke, Lowepro and Think Tank models but I keep coming back to Billingham. In addition to the original Hadley Pro, today I also have an L2 and an F-Stop 1.4.

 

[Godfrey]

I also have a Billingham L2 ... It's the bag my Leica SL fitted with a couple of R lenses lives in. Just an excellent bag and very versatile for a modest sized kit.

G

 

[sjauch]

100% Domke. I have a hard time justifying spending more for something that does the same.

However, there is one leather bag maker that has some very interesting stuff. I'd like to see it in person some day but doubt it will be because I buy one.
http://channelmodern.com/

 

[ktmrider]

Yes, carrying a lot of camera gear in a shoulder bag contributes to back problems. I used to carry a couple motorized Nikon F's, 4-5 lenses, an electronic flash and other accessories when I was a working photographer back in the 1970's. I was 20 years old and my back hurt.

Once I quit carrying that stuff the back pain went away (even though I was at OCS in the Marines and later infantry school which had us carrying lots of stuff when on field maneuvers).

I have several friends who still shoot for magazines like NATIONAL GEO and they still complain of back problems (and they are no longer in their 20's or even 50's for that matter).

I guess it is a great argument for a Leica M and one or two lenses or even a point and shoot.

 

[Huss]

I guess it is a great argument for a Leica M and one or two lenses or even a point and shoot.

Leica Ms may be compact but they are not light weight.

 

[Dogman]

Yes, carrying a lot of camera gear in a shoulder bag contributes to back problems. I used to carry a couple motorized Nikon F's, 4-5 lenses, an electronic flash and other accessories when I was a working photographer back in the 1970's. I was 20 years old and my back hurt....

Same here. Now getting close to 70 I can tell you all about things like cervical spondylosis, herniated lumbar discs and lumbar spinal stenosis.

I've learned too late about lightening the load.

 

[back alley]

my favourite bag used to hold 3 bodies and 3 lenses plus all kinds of stuff.
lately it holds one body and 2 smaller lenses and my hips say stop after a block or so of walking...

 

[CSG123]

I bought a Billingham Hadley for either my Leica M4 or Fuji X-Pro 1 but I don't carry it with me, rather, I use it to transport gear in my vehicle and then grab what I want to take.

 

[Spicy]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a nice bag for a single film M and maybe two or three extra rolls of film?

I read through the thread and think a lot of people are missing the point -- reasonably priced functional bags are great, but they don't always fit. My Domke F803 has served me well, but I can't bring around my Indiana Jones corners-worn-away adventure bag to somewhere that requires a suit.

Not looking for a "high end camera bag" (so Ona/Billingham are out), I'm looking for a high-end bag that can accommodate a camera on occasion. Something that's usually going to be business-formal/dinner-party appropriate, and carrying the essentials (accommodating enough for an iPad, notebook/documents).

Any suggestions for a bag and an insert, not necessarily from the same company?

 

[ktmrider]

I have been very happy with a Bare Bones Bag for a Leica body and say two lenses. It is very understated, fits the contours of the body well and just seems to work. Am not sure they are still made by same individual but know they are available, perhaps by the manufacturer.

 

[Savid]

I voted Ona. But I'll be honest and say that it in part has to do with looks and personal style 😉

I work in a rather big international company where the dress-code is (unfortunately) not optional. Furthermore, I prefer to (always) have my camera on me - and in my opinion most dedicated camera bags look a little to much the part (and I might get fired for carrying a Domke). However, I find that Ona bags are okay to carry to work with a computer, a few docs and my camera, and still have a little extra room for film and whatever.

Kindly,
D

 

[Bill Clark]

My recommendation, have a camera bag that's cheap, letting others think you have cheap inside. Expensive usually means expensive inside. Wearing nice looking new name brand tennis, jeans and a sweatshirt with mumbo jumbo on it means I'm a tourist and my wallet and camera is yours for the taking.

A lady pro visiting at a meeting said when she gies to large cities, she puts her camera bag in a brown old grocery bag. Hasn't had a problem but ....

 

[ptpdprinter]

My recommendation, have a camera bag that's cheap, letting others think you have cheap inside. Expensive usually means expensive inside.

A lady pro visiting at a meeting said when she gies to large cities, she puts her camera bag in a brown old grocery bag. Hasn't had a problem but ....

And we all know that the bottom never falls out of old brown grocery bags.

 

[Bill Clark]

Well, you could try cloth bags. I have a few I use when I go grocery shopping.

Whatever.

 

[Dogman]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a nice bag for a single film M and maybe two or three extra rolls of film?

I read through the thread and think a lot of people are missing the point -- reasonably priced functional bags are great, but they don't always fit. My Domke F803 has served me well, but I can't bring around my Indiana Jones corners-worn-away adventure bag to somewhere that requires a suit.

Not looking for a "high end camera bag" (so Ona/Billingham are out), I'm looking for a high-end bag that can accommodate a camera on occasion. Something that's usually going to be business-formal/dinner-party appropriate, and carrying the essentials (accommodating enough for an iPad, notebook/documents).

Any suggestions for a bag and an insert, not necessarily from the same company?

I know you said Billingham is out but, really, if you want a high end bag you gotta consider it's also gonna be high end price-wise. But it doesn't have to be extravagant.

So...Billingham L2. Or Billingham S2 (maybe). (I know an iPad will fit in the L2 but I'm not sure about the S2.)

For a couple of hundred bucks and considering the quality construction and materials, the L2 will seem like a bargain after a couple of decades of use.

 

[goamules]

Asking "what High End bag should I use" is like asking what Gucci or Coach purse a woman should buy. Expensive brands are expensive because they are ....brands. If the goal is to have "High Cost" just buy whatever is most expensive. To me, it's vulgar to put a $300 rangefinder kit into a $600 bag.

 

[Dan]

A lady pro visiting at a meeting said when she gies to large cities, she puts her camera bag in a brown old grocery bag. Hasn't had a problem but ....

Problem with that approach is when someone notices your not-so-cheap-camera after it comes out of the cheap bag.

 

[DanskDynamit]

I use a 10€ black fake leather unbranded waist bag. As High end as I like.